So, after a very, very long hiatus from posting in any fashion on CBSSports.com, enduring the past year and a half as a Mets fan, and reading the posts of Mets fans who somehow feel entitled to a world championship, I've come to the conclusion that there is a severe lack of trust in the Mets ownership.

First of all, you have the shortfall of the 2006 Mets, who shockingly fell a basehit short of advancing to the World Series to face the uninspiring Detroit Tigers; then there's the choking episodes that were September 2007 & 08; and last but not least, the injury-riddled, depleted Mets of 2009. Man, it seems like eons ago that the Mets were taking everyone in the National League behind the woodshed and smashing their opponents. Admittedly, 2006 seems like 1986. Looking to start fresh, the Mets have a few of the stars on the mend in John Maine, Jose B. Reyes, Oliver Perez (who also needs a few other methods of rehab), David Wright and Carlos Beltran...so we think. The new year came in, and Mets fans, still wallowing in the 3-year stench of Mets-fandom, finally have something bright to look forward to, especially after the Jason Bay signing and then, "POOF!!!" Carlos Beltran will miss the next 3-4 months with surgery, the Mets pitching rotation still needs surgery, and all of a sudden, the Met fan's psyche becomes broken and needs surgery. So what do the Mets do to compensate? They trade Brian Stokes, a middle-of-the-road reliever to the Anaheim Angels for Gary Matthews Jr. Given Angel Pagan's energy, I think Sarge Jr. will do just fine to balance things out in centerfield while Beltran is away.

What I don't get is how every move the Mets make is criticized? I mean, sure, the Mets have gone from powerhouse to pariah in just 3 years! I can understand the fan's frustration, but can we give this thing some time? The Mets aren't exactly the Yankees, and remember that for all of the success the Phillies have had of late, they were always nipping at the heels of the Mets....for years! Let's just walk away from this whole thing as fans and realize that there is parity in baseball, and that the Mets will not contend every year although we expect them to compete. Every move Omar makes (think what you want about him) is made in the best interests of the team...they have to be, I mean he has a family to feed too, right? You think anyone in their right mind, regardless of how much they make, is going to sabotage their job? I don't think so. Give Minaya some credit...he hasn't traded away the farm, he hasn't signed any over-the-hill veterans a la Moises Alou or Mo Vaughn (*cough...Steve Phillips) this offseason, so lay off. The free agent class this winter has been uninspiring at best, so for Omar to stand pat this winter has been good for us. So what, we don't win the headline war in New York? Last I checked, those wins have no bearing on a world championship, so what difference does making the Yankees look like 'stiffs' in the paper make? It's still early, January to be exact, and pitcher and catchers report in just under a month. When April comes around, and everything that matters is happening on the field, then I'll be critical. Until then, the front office is doing what they can to make the Mets competitive. They may seem inept, disconnected from its fanbase and for what it's worth, "disenfranchised" (no pun intended), but the Mets will be back soon...bank on that!